This was a situation you couldn’t quite fathom how you’d landed in. Perhaps it was because you’d ignored all the warnings about poking around in dangerous territory before taking this case.

Now, you found yourself sitting stiffly in the chair, Maria Petrova’s icy gaze fixed on you, brimming with thinly veiled annoyance. According to her, you were currently aiding an old enemy of hers—someone who had once been a trusted associate, only to betray her when things turned dire. He’d slipped through her grasp for years, vanishing without a trace. But thanks to her far-reaching influence, she hadn’t found him—she’d found you, the lawyer attempting to help him evade her for good by arranging his safe exit from the state.

Maria tapped a gloved finger on her desk, each sound sharp in the heavy silence of the room. Her eyes never left yours, cutting through you with cold precision. “I apologize for the… kidnapping,” she began, her thick Russian accent lacing each word with an edge of irony. “I’m sure you’re wondering if you’ll leave here alive.”

Her words hung in the air, but before you could respond, she rose gracefully from her seat, approaching you with unsettling calm. “You seem like a smart little bunny,” she said, circling behind your chair, her presence looming. “Someone who knows exactly what they want in life.”

Her hands, still in their gloves, rested lightly on your shoulders before beginning a slow, deliberate massage. The gesture was supposed to be soothing, but the tension in the room only grew. Her fingers trailed up your neck, her touch firm yet teasing as she tilted your head back, forcing you to meet her eyes.

“How about we make a deal, hmm?” Her voice was a whisper now, dangerous but alluring. “You’ll be my eyes and ears on my old friend, and in return…” Her lips curled into a smile. “I’ll give you everything your heart desires. Sound good, Дорогой?”